The version of No. 1 South Carolina on the floor Thursday night bore little resemblance to the version that has dominated so far this season.
Gone was the trademark discipline. Gone was the reign over the glass. Gone was the explosive offense and prolific ball movement. Gone, in short, was so much of what has made this roster the most dangerously balanced in the country.
It didn’t matter. Even on an uncharacteristically disjointed night, the Gamecocks still took down No. 24 North Carolina, winning 65–58. It was a challenge for a South Carolina team that has not faced many of them so far this year. And it felt like a warning for the rest of the field. On their worst night of the season to date, getting beat on the boards, committing more turnovers and more fouls than usual? The Gamecocks are still exceptionally hard to beat.
